The present invention relates to a texture image display apparatus that displays texture of an object.
For example, an image display apparatus may be a liquid crystal display, a plasma display unit, or the like. Conventionally, these display apparatuses improve texture display of an object by improving performance relating to the three basic elements, i.e., color, brightness, and resolution.
The below-mentioned Non-patent Document 1 and Non-patent Document 2 disclose techniques of representing texture of an object. In detail, Non-patent Document 1 discloses a Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF), and Non-patent Document 2 discloses a Bidirectional Texture Function (BTF). Both functions are functions whose arguments are an incidence angle and a reflection angle (outgoing angle) of light. This indicates that improvement of only performance relating to color and brightness is not sufficient for representing texture, and directions of light rays should be considered also.
As a display apparatus that considers directions of light rays, a compound eye stereoscopic display apparatus may be cited. The below-mentioned Non-patent Document 3 discloses the principle of integral photography for realizing stereoscopic viewing by controlling directions of light rays.
Non-patent Document 1: F. E. Nicodemus, et al., Geometric considerations and nomenclature for reflectance, Monograph 161, National Bureau of Standards (US), October 1977.
Non-patent Document 2: Kristin J. Dana, et al., Reflectance and Texture of Real-World Surfaces, ACM Transactions on Graphics, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 1-34, 1999.
Non-patent Document 3: M. G. Lippmann, Epreuves reversibles donnant la sensation du relief, J. de Phys, Vol. 7, pp. 821-825, 1908.
As described above, there is a problem in that the conventional image display apparatuses only improve performance relating to color and brightness, and cannot sufficiently represent texture of an object.
The present invention has been made considering the above problem. An object of the present invention is to provide a texture image display apparatus that can represent an object with improved quality of texture.